National Day, holiday celebrated on October 1 to mark the formation of the People’s Republic of China. The holiday is also celebrated by China’s two special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau. Traditionally, the festivities begin with the ceremonial raising of the Chinese national flag in Tiananmen Square in the capital city of Beijing. The flag ceremony is followed first by a large parade exhibiting the country’s military forces and then by state dinners and, finally, fireworks displays, which conclude the evening celebrations. In 1999 the Chinese government expanded the celebrations by several days to give its citizens a seven-day vacation period similar to the Golden Week holiday in Japan. Often, the Chinese use this time to stay with relatives and to travel. Visiting amusement parks and watching special television programs centred on the holiday are also popular activities.

National Day in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, the anniversary (October 1) of the founding of the …

On Oct. 1, 1949, Mao Zedong, the leader of the Red Army (communist forces), officially declared the formation of the People’s Republic of China before a crowd of 300,000 in Tiananmen Square while waving the newly created Chinese flag. The declaration followed a civil war in which communist forces emerged victorious over the Nationalist government. On Dec. 2, 1949, at a meeting of the Central People’s Government Council, the declaration to formally adopt October 1 as National Day was ratified by the First National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

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in China

China observes a number of national holidays, including New Year’s Day, the Spring Festival (lunar new year), Youth Day (May 4), and National Day (October 1). Notable festivals are the Lantern Festival (late winter), Tomb Sweep Day (April 4 or 5), and the Mid-Autumn Festival (October). Scores of local festivals are also held at various times throughout the country.

country of East Asia. It is the largest of all Asian countries and has the largest population of any country in the world. Occupying nearly the entire East Asian landmass, it occupies approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth. Among the major countries of the world, China is surpassed...

special administrative region (Pinyin: tebie xingzhengqu; Wade-Giles romanization: t’e-pieh hsing-cheng-ch’ü) of China, located to the east of the Pearl River (Xu Jiang) estuary on the south coast of China. The region is bordered by Guangdong province to the north and the South...